Milton Friedman on the "War on Drugs" (In a Letter to Bill Bennett)

NRO ^ | 11/16/06 | Andrew Stuttaford

[zarf]

You are not mistaken in believing that drugs are a scourge that is devastating our society. You are not mistaken in believing that drugs are tearing asunder our social fabric, ruining the lives of many young people, and imposing heavy costs on some of the most disadvantaged among us.

You are not mistaken in believing that the majority of the public share your concerns. In short, you are not mistaken in the end you seek to achieve. Your mistake is failing to recognize that the very measures you favor are a major source of the evils you deplore. Of course the problem is demand, but it is not only demand, it is demand that must operate through repressed and illegal channels. Illegality creates obscene profits that finance the murderous tactics of the drug lords; illegality leads to the corruption of law enforcement officials; illegality monopolizes the efforts of honest law forces so that they are starved for resources to fight the simpler crimes of robbery, theft and assault.

Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. Our experience with the prohibition of drugs is a replay of our experience with the prohibition of alcoholic beverages.

[dfwgator]

I sure would like to see Bennett's reply (if he attempted one).

I'm sure Bennett would be more in agreement with Friedman on the subject of gambling.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Um...has anyone really thought this out? How it would implemented..etc?

[groanup]

Uncle Milty had it right. The WOD drugs creates a shortage of an obscenely profitable substance. Nothing could possibly come close to attracting the worst of those who are motivated by such profit to provide the substance. The WOD is a total and unmitigated failure.

[Paloma_55]

you left out "drug" in the "drug money and guns" part of my sentence.

Read much? I quoted your post verbatim, then commented with my question.

This is really silly.

First of all, in quoting me, you BOLDED my sentence and intentially UNBOLDED the word drug. Then you asked the question and LEFT OUT the word drug from the the phrase I had used.

And you resort to calling me delusional.

Look. You think the WOD is a bad idea. I think it is a GREAT idea because I could care less if scum who get stoned are sitting in jail.

You don't like my opinion? Tough shit. Get over it.

And finally, the original post which I was rebutting stated that many people are sitting in prisons (not jail, prisons) for a "small amount of pot" and I find this ludicrous. Nobody has demonstrated this to be an accurate point, instead they emphasize/de-emphasise parts of my post, phrase questions leaving out parts of phrases that I used and then argue with the accuracy of my reference to that behavior, and call me delusional.

Great discussion. Its been fun. Not.

[Paloma_55]

a) He emphasized my post in bold italic *except* for the word drug which he had to intentionally unbold.

b) He then asks a question using my phrase and intentionally left out the word "drug".

Argue to your heart's content.

[Zon]

I'm not arguing. Merely allowing you to make an ass of yourself discrediting
yourself. Remain delusional, ignorant, lazy or change -- it's your choice.
Your problem -- not mine. Deal with it. Or don't. Makes no difference to
me.

[Paloma_55]

Tell ya what... show me some statistics on the MANY people in PRISON for a SMALL AMOUNT OF POT and lets not bother dealing with my delusionality or the emphasis of quotes attributed to me.

OK?

Go ahead, make my day.

[SUSSA]

Milton Friedman is so obviously right one wonders how people can fall for the War On some Drugs nonsense. Alcohol prohibition did nothing except make gangsters like Joe Kennedy and Al Capone rich. Drug prohibition is just creating a new set of rich gangsters.

[Wormwood]

For all of you praising Milton Friedman today; a stark reminder about the foolishness of the drug war and another reminder of Friedman's wisdom.

Amen. We shall not see his like again, I fear.

[RobRoy]

I agree with his words precicely.

[Wormwood]

Drug prohibition is just creating a new set of rich gangsters.

It's also lining the pockets of the "criminal justice" industry. Thus we must suffer perpetual war on behalf of the society's parasites.

[Zon]

The information is on the LEAP Web Site. I'm pretty sure it's in the two-part video I posted the links to in post 59. Can lead an ass to water but can't make it drink.

[Zon]

The information is on the LEAP Web Site. I'm pretty sure it's in the two-part video I posted the links to in post 59. Can lead an ass to water but can't make it drink.

[Paloma_55]

Tell ya what, I don't have time to watch a video right now. But I will do that (yes, I have an open mind) and we will see if it is able to answer that question.

I will be back later.

[takenoprisoner]

The war on drugs, including tobacco, and on dui at .08 are all wars on freedom.

In addition, America is fighting a war on terror which has also reduced our freedoms. Now we are subject to the humility of having our coolers and purses searched at sporting events and other like events. Dogs sniff our luggage at airports. The trunks of our cars are subject to be searched at airports. Our kids, our parents, our grandparents are subject to be strip searched at airports.
The irony is that none of this would be necessary if we refused to allow muslims into our country til we win the war on terror. And for those muslims already here on visas, send them home. For those that have become citizens, take that monster DHS and investigate each and everyone of them. And give us back America.

But no, with all the wars on the table, we are obviously being properly conditioned for a police state.

Taser that.
tnp

[Zon]

My mistake. Meant to post to Paloma_55

[SUSSA]

no problem

[eleni121]

Friedman is a smart man but he doesn't get it when it comes to the drug culture.

One argument against legalization is that once drug use is sanctioned by the government, more people will use drugs.

Organized crime will not disappear - and it is disingenous to believe that - it will simply branch out...After Prohibition was repealed, organized crime infiltrated into other areas--there is every expectation that current drug organizations would also continue to diversify.

[SUSSA]

You're right.

[TKDietz]

I would agree that there is not just a tremendous number of people in prison for possessing small personal amounts of marijuana. There are quite a few people in prison for possessing various drugs though, even in some cases nothing but marijuana, and certainly an awful lot of people get in trouble for possessing drugs even if it doesn't land them in prison. Over 700,000 are arrested for marijuana every year, and when you include those arrested for any illegal drugs the number goes much higher. Users are punished. What we have is not simply a "supply side assault on drugs." Our governments spend an awful lot of money punishing users, trying to rehabilitate users, putting out anit-drug messages, etc. These are measures designed to reduce demand. They aren't particularly effective, but then again neither are our efforts to reduce supply.